Brief Evaluations of Three Kansas Prospects
The Kansas Jayhawks did the impossible on April 4, coming back from a 16-point deficit to beat the eighth-seeded UNC Tar Heels for the NCAA National Championship. Aside from their players becoming champions, a select few could be coming to the league as well.
David McCormack
A bruising big man with tons of potential, McCormack is projected to be a second-round pick in the upcoming draft. In his senior year, he averaged 10.6 PPG, 7 RPG, and nearly 1 APG while shooting 51% from the field and 75% from the free-throw line. He recorded 15 points on 7–15 shooting and 10 rebounds in the championship game and had a season-high 25 points against Villanova in the Final Four. McCormack is a beast in the paint, using his strength coupled with an array of post moves to score easily against his defenders. He’s also been known for his rebounding, grabbing a career-best 279 boards this year. Defensively, he tallied 88 blocks in 132 games over his four-year collegiate career, including 33 this season. His development will be key, as more teams are looking to add rookie bigs to their roster in an increasingly youthful league.
Ochai Agbaji
Agbaji has been a riser on several NBA mock draft boards, being known as a 3-and-D guard and wing throughout his four-year Kansas career. He made leaps and bounds this season, averaging nearly 19 PPG (a five-point improvement from his junior year), 5.1 RPG, and 1.6 APG on 47–40–74 splits. He’s been known as an electric scorer, putting up 20 or more points in 19 games this season. On the other side, he’s racked up 117 steals in 122 games and is known for being a pest defensively. His skills on both sides of the ball are highly valued by NBA teams, and with some mocks projecting him as a lottery pick come June. Wherever he lands, Agbaji will certainly make an impact his first year, and will be one player to watch in the upcoming rookie class.
Christian Braun
Christian Braun has been another target for young NBA teams looking to build through the draft. Braun, a 6’6'’ junior wing, is an athletic sharpshooter who can also defend well. Like Agbaji, he made a significant jump scoring-wise (from 9.7 to 14.1 PPG), and has also been a consistent three-point shooter, with a career three-ball percentage of 37.8. He recorded 12 points (6–13 FG) and 12 rebounds against UNC for the title, contributing in other ways despite missing the only three he took. Braun has also improved his rebounding year after year (2.9, 5.2, and 6.5 RPG, respectively) and averaged a career-high 2.8 APG this season. He is a do-it-all player whose skills and athleticism warrant him being a mid-to-late first round pick (as some mocks have noted). With the right tools, Braun will succeed in whatever role he is put in.
Conclusion
These three national champions will look to continue their winning ways at the next level, contributing in various ways and becoming stars in their roles for NBA teams.
